13 Fitbit Community Features You Can Customize For More (or Less!) Privacy

By Danielle Kosecki

Virtual communities can provide the motivation and support you need to stay healthy—for instance, people who have at least one Fitbit friend take 700 more steps a day than those who don’t, according to internal data. But sharing step counts and more personal data, like your name, location, and weight, requires another level of trust. And Fitbit understands that. That’s why you choose what information you share.

Not sure if you’re taking full advantage of your Fitbit privacy settings? Want to share more with your Fitbit friends? Read on to learn how to personalize your Fitbit privacy settings.

13 Customizable Fitbit Community Features

Display NameThis is the name other Fitbit users will see in the app or on the Fitbit.com dashboard. You can change it once every 60 days from within the app or the dashboard. If you’re using the dashboard, click the gear icon in the top right corner and then click settings to find the “Name” field. In the app, tap the Account icon and then the tile with your name. From here, tap the gear icon and then “Display Name.” Tap or click either your name or username to change it and then click “Save.”

Profile PhotoChoose an image to represent you within the Fitbit community. It doesn’t have to be a headshot. Some members use pictures of their pets or visual quotes. You can set or change your profile picture from the Fitbit.com dashboard by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner and then choosing “Change profile pic” or “Upload pics.” In the app, tap the Account icon, your name tile, the gear icon and then “Profile Photo.”

Cover PhotoIn addition to a profile photo, you can also personalize your profile page within the Fitbit app by adding a cover photo. Think stunning hiking vistas, a pic of your favorite running shoes, or anything else that will keep you motivated or inspire others. To add one, go into your app account settings again, tap the gear icon, and then tap “Cover Photo.”

Personal BioThis setting is designed to let you share some information about yourself, but it’s public, meaning any Fitbit user can see what you choose to share. Introduce yourself, share your health and fitness goals or your past accomplishments, post an inspirational quote, or just leave it blank. You can edit your About Me section from the Fitbit.com dashboard by clicking the gear icon and then “Settings.” In the app, tap the Account icon, your name tile, the gear icon, and then “About Me.”LocationYou can choose to share where you live (right down to your city and state if you live in the US) as well with whom (no one, only friends, or everyone). In the Fitbit app, tap the Account icon, the name tile, the gear icon, and then “Location.” On the Fitbit.com dashboard, click the gear icon and then “Settings.”

Average Daily Step CountYour average daily step count is calculated based on your daily steps over the last 7 days. To adjust whether this information is public or only shared with your Fitbit friends, tap the Account icon in the app, the tile with your name, the gear icon, and then “Steps.” If you’re using the Fitbit.com dashboard, click the gear icon, “Settings,” and then “Privacy.”

Personal StatsPersonal stats include your birthday, height, and weight. When you first create your Fitbit account, they default to being private. If you’d like to share one or all of these stats, you can change the privacy settings on the Fitbit.com dashboard or app. From the dashboard, click the gear icon, then “Settings,” and “Privacy.” In the app, tap the Account icon, your name tile, and “Personal Stats.” Then tap each individual item to review or adjust the privacy settings.

Within “Personal Stats” on the app and dashboard you can also adjust the privacy settings of various Fitbit graphs—like sleep and calorie intake—that only appear on your Fitbit.com dashboard.

Badges and TrophiesShare your achievements with the larger Fitbit fam or keep those personal victories to yourself. Either way, it’s up to you. Windows 10 and iOS users can change their settings in the app by tapping the Account icon, the tile with your name, “Badges and Trophies,” and then “Privacy Setting.” The process is similar for Android users, except after tapping “Badges and Trophies” you’ll select the gear icon to review your privacy settings. If you’re using the Fitbit.com dashboard, click the gear icon, “Settings,” and then “Privacy”.

Friend ListThere are a few different ways to curate your friends list besides just adding more. If you ever need to remove or block a friend while in the app, tap the Account icon, the name tile, and then tap the friend to view their profile. From there you can tap the three dots at the top of the screen and choose to delete or block them.

You can also remove friends using the Fitbit.com dashboard. To do so, find the Friends tile and click the friend you want to delete. Hover over the teal Friends button. The button will turn pink and an “X” will appear. Click the “X” to confirm you want to remove the friend.

Want to keep your friends’ profiles as private as your own? In the app, tap the Account icon, the name tile, and then “Privacy Setting’ under “Friends.” You choose to keep your friend list public, only share it with your friends, or make it private.

GroupsJoining a Group is a great way to share accomplishments, tips, and educational and motivational articles with like-minded people. But if you ever want to leave a group after you’ve joined, you can. In the app, iOS users can tap the Account icon, your name tile, and then “Groups.” Find the Group you want to leave, swipe left, and tap “Leave.”

Private MessagesNot everything has to be publicly shared with friends and groups on community. To send a private message to one of your friends, tap the Community button on your Fitbit app dashboard, then tap “Friends.” Find the friend you want to message and tap the tile with their name and then “Message.”

Offensive PostsFitbit Community is designed to be a safe place to connect with other people on a health journey. If you ever see a post that you find unacceptable or offensive, report it by tapping the three dots in the corner of the post in question and then tapping “Report Post.” Choose the reason you’re reporting the post and then tap “Send Feedback.”

Community PostsIf you’ve only been lurking on Community and haven’t shared anything yet, give it a shot. Each time you post, you can choose to only share your update with friends or a particular Group you’re in. You can also delete something you’ve posted (tap the three dots in the corner of the post and select “Delete”) or delete comments from your post (swipe left on iOS; press and hold on Android and then tap “Delete;” report the comment on Windows 10). One last thing: Fitbit takes data security very seriously. If you’re concerned that an unauthorized person has logged into your Fitbit account, see Can someone take over my account?

This article is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.

Danielle Kosecki

Senior health and fitness editor Danielle Kosecki is an award-winning journalist who has covered health and fitness for more than 10 years. She’s written for Glamour, More, Prevention, and Bicycling magazines, among others, and is the editor of The Bicycling Big Book of Training. A New York native, Danielle now lives in the Bay Area where she doesn’t miss winter at all.

When are we going to be able to add 2 devices from the same group. I have 2 Alta HRs it is rediculous I have to remove one and install the other every time I want to change devices. I don’t want to reply saying I can have multiple devices from different groups I am not interested in other devices I have 2 Alta HRs because that is my preferred devices.

My friend list- when chosing who to “invite” to be your friend- shows up with a first name ( or part of) only. I can’t tell which “Melissa” etc- that I am asking to be a friend. Is there a way to see their email address in the app- in order to know who exactly you are asking to “friend”? I may not want to send friend requests for example to business contacts that may be in my phone contacts

I need help. My fitbit was not charged when I went on vacation to Europe . On 11/ 18 it reads 10/4 for the date?? The time is now 1:50 but my fitbit reads 11:20?? how do I adjust this? I am 80 years old and all this tech stuff is well above my head. Ed

The communities feature is a great place for challenge. One of my friends has her steps set to 13k, mine was 10k and another friend at 6k. I’m trying to get the one at 6k to push herself to 7k, the friend at 13k got me pushing towards 12k and I’ll push more soon.